


Found

by jencsi



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28629942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jencsi/pseuds/jencsi
Summary: They were going to get caught eventually.
Relationships: Julie "Finn" Finlay/Nick Stokes
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Found

2013- 

A warm breeze kicks up around them. Spring is here but not for long. Hot desert air will soon be infiltrating their skin, swirling all around them, exhausting them. But for now, they have this; a brick wall around the parking lot of the police station. She keeps her arms folded in against her chest. He stands with one foot angled back pressed against the wall, smooth, casual. She chats with him about plans for dinner, movie night, and finally; 

“Maybe a little trip, someplace away from Vegas, nothing crazy, maybe a cabin or something in the mountains, or if you want, I’d love to take you to see Seattle, but only if you want to, no rush.”

She speaks quickly and with some worry in her voice. Is it too soon to be sharing things like that? It’s been almost a year. Is he ready? Is he going to hate her for pushing too much too soon? 

“Seattle sounds great,” he says to her relief “I’d love to go.” 

She grins, smitten, reaching for his hand and swinging it playfully as she holds it, lacing their fingers together, stepping forward and pressing one kiss to his lips. She thinks about all the things she will show him in Seattle, rattling off the names of her favorite shops and restaurants, telling him they can stay in the nicest hotel because she “knows a guy” who can hook them up with a deal. 

He raises an eyebrow of concern at this declaration. 

“Who is this guy?” he questions, still enamored with holding her hand. 

“Just someone from a case,” she shrugs, “he helped us set up a sting operation and we needed to keep a low profile and he was excellent, brought the bad guys room service with hidden cameras and we got them.” 

“Uh huh, sure,” he teases, knowing of her flirtatious nature and her past. 

She tilts her head, giving him that look, one of annoyance but one of admiration. She knows he is joking around and she adores how they go around like this. She wants to kiss him again, but she also wants to be held, he makes her go weak this way. She holds his hands for a second longer before pushing her way closer to him, having to stand on her toes to reach his height and press her forehead against his. That contact stirs up butterflies in her stomach and a warmth in her chest. She closes her eyes to savor it, feeling him brush his lips against hers. This is perfect bliss, until she hears a booming voice from beside them yell out “Hey!”

She gasps, jumping, startled, turning her head to see who has made them, feeling her cheeks flush red hot when she sees Captain Brass standing beside them, looking cross. She whines in defeat, knowing they cannot explain themselves out of this situation so she buries her face in Nick’s chest, turning her head to avoid looking at either of them, squinting her eyes shut, wishing they were anywhere but here. 

“You two, my office, now.” Brass orders and her heart beats faster against her chest. Though she has only worked here a year and a half, and everyone seems to like her, she still has not quite figured out how to connect with the veteran captain and seeming protector of this place. 

“Jim come on,” Nick tried to reason with the harsh captain because deep down he knew him well enough to know he couldn’t be that upset with them over this. 

“Lets go,” Brass ignores Nick’s plea and motions for them to follow, forcing Finn to look in his direction as she walks, her hair is matted from where she lay her head on Nick’s chest but she doesn’t dare reach up and try and fix it. 

Brass leads them on this walk of shame, into the building and down the two hallways to his office. As they both make a move to follow him into it, Brass stops Nick, putting a hand on his shoulder and keeping him back. 

“One at a time,” he orders and Finn looks terrified at Nick as Brass shuts the door in his face and yanks the blinds closed. She hears the unmistakable click of the officer door as it locks. 

“Sit,” he orders her, pulling back the chair in front of his desk. She obeys, for once in her life, heart racing, knowing she will either be fired or sent to a different shift. Her stomach hurts at what Russell and the others will say when they hear of this news. 

Brass takes a seat at his desk, folds his hands together and stares at her, expressionless, sizing her up, waiting for her to make an excuse but all he is met with is silence. 

“Nothing?” he pushes her now “not a peep, you don’t want to murder me with a chainsaw?” 

“What do you want me to say?” Finn snaps now “I’m sorry I fell in love with him? You want me to cry like a girl and tell you how wonderful he is to me, how happy we are, how he’s been through hell but still pushes forward, how he cares so much about helping people, how he loves the team, how he deserves so much more love than I can ever give him but he wants to be with me anyway, is that what you want to hear?” 

She is indeed crying now, hastily wiping her eyes on the back of her hand as she finishes her rant to the captain. He continues to eye her with a solemn look, watching her fall apart in front of him. To her shock and annoyance, a moment later, he smiles. Silently he pushes forward a box of tissues he keeps on his desk for distraught victims and families of victims when they come to the office for the bad news he has to deliver. She doesn’t take one from the box, resolving to sniffle sloppily in front of him. 

“Don’t sell yourself short,” he speaks after some awkward silence. 

“What?” she grumbles in haste, sniffling. 

“With Nick,” Brass continues “he deserves every bit of the love you have, clearly so strong for him, don’t think you’re not making his world a whole hell of a lot brighter, because you are.” 

Stunned, she gapes at him. He wasn’t lecturing or punishing her, he was supporting her and them. 

“You- you mean it?” she asks, sounding helpless, childlike. 

“Yes kiddo,” Brass says “I’ve seen enough destruction and death from this place, but I’ve also seen what love can do.”

He nods his head towards a series of photos on his desk of the team at various years including one of Sara and former supervisor and mentor to Nick, Grissom, on a boat, looking happy and content. Sharing the frames space was another photo of Catherine Willows and Detective Vartann, smiling happily at some police department event just last year. 

“Be happy,” Brass instructs her now “enjoy every second of it, don’t let it go.” 

Finn nods, still shocked that this conversation went from terrifying to enjoyable in such a quick amount of time. She sits there, wondering what to say or do next when a furious pounding on the office door startles her. 

“Come on Jim, it’s been long enough,” Nick shouts muffled through the door “let her go, write me up instead, it’s not her fault.” 

Brass motions for Finn to let Nick in and she does, unlocking the door and meeting his stunned face with tear filled eyes. 

“What happened?” Nick demands upon seeing her tears. 

“Nothing,” she insists “we had a nice chat.”

“That’s bull shit,” Nick says “he’s switching your shifts so we won’t be together.”

“Nick,” Finn says his name softly, trying to calm him, “I promise, everythings okay.”

“Like I’m supposed to believe that,” he scoffs “listen Jim, we both agreed to keep it a secret, we both initiated it, we couldn’t help it, she was helping me with that case and all of McKeen’s crap last year and then she got hurt and it gutted me, she cares Jim, she cares about me and the job, she gets it, all of it, you’ve got to understand, I love her and we’re not separating.”

Nick kept his arm around Finn and guided her back to him, leaning against him, squeezing her shoulder. Hearing his words and rant so similar to the one she just launched at Brass a few minutes ago let her know how serious they both were about this. 

“No one’s being punished,” Brass says “no one’s being separated either, your secret is safe with me.”

He held his hands up in a sign of defeat but also compromise. Nick gaped at him, stunned by their good fortune. 

“He means it,” Finn says quietly to him, piercing him with a watery eyed stare “trust me.”

“Oh,” Nick says, feeling slightly embarrassed for overreacting “well okay then, uh, thanks Jim.” 

“Are we uh, good to go?” Nick asks, feeling like a kid in school asking permission from the teacher. 

“We’re good,” Brass concludes his discussion, watching relief wash over their faces, their bodies stop tensing up, loving how Finn absentmindedly plays with the hem of Nick’s jacket, nervous, fidgety, as they have been standing there. Sweet. 

Nick nods as a silent gesture of understanding, turning to walk out of the office with her. 

“Stokes,” Brass calls again to him and Nick looks back. 

“Don’t screw it up,” Brass reminds him of his past, his insecurities, his doubts and fears. 

Finn looks at Nick, waiting for his answer, her bright eyes pulling him into the abyss of her soul, reminding him how strong their love is and how lucky he is to have her. 

“I won’t,” Nick promises them both. 

She smiles, that comforting warmth washing over her again as they vacate the office, holding hands just a little bit longer as they walk down the hallway. She feels his thumb brush over her hand a few times, grazing her skin gently. She brings her hand up that’s still intertwined with his, pressing the back of his hand to her cheek and nuzzling against him softly. They savor these affections for a few extra minutes before letting their hands slip away from each other as they reach the main lobby, where someone might see.


End file.
